Let's Get Together
by Ziirroh
Summary: What do you say? We can have a swinging time. (bonus pts for getting song ref :3) RWBYrsWeek [02/14/16 - 02/20/16]: 1. Reese Chloris & Jaune Arc, 2. Sun Wukong & Blake Belladonna, 3. Jaune Arc & Yang Xiao Long, 4. Coco Adel & Yang Xiao Long, 5. Jaune Arc & Ozpin, 6. Ruby Rose & Reese Chloris, 7. Blake Belladonna & Ruby Rose
1. It's A Small World

Shortly after teams RWBY and ABRN had completed their battles, team JNPR left the stands and made their way toward the landing bay of the Amity Colosseum.

On their way out they were caught up in a rush, as crowds entering and leaving the stadium suddenly surged through.

Jaune found himself separated from the rest of his team, as he was ushered into a different airship.

Fortunately for him this airship was one that was headed toward the fairgrounds, which was where the rest of his team was headed.

Jaune sighed as he slumped into a seat, accidentally bumping into the person beside him a bit.

"Oh, sorry!" He said with an apologetic expression, which then turned to one of recognition. "Weren't you one of the huntresses going against team RWBY?"

A girl with turquoise hair that was partially hidden under a dark purple hoodie looked over at Jaune with a grin.

"No problem, guy. And yeah, I was. The name's Reese."

She put out a hand towards Jaune, who took it in a handshake.

"Jaune. Where's the rest of your team at?" He said, looking past her trying to find them.

"Haha. Well, we kinda got separated by the crowd. They ended up in a different airship than me, but at least I know we're going to the same place." Reese said optimistically.

"Huh. Small world. I'm in the same boat as you." Jaune said with a laugh. "What are the odds of that?"

Reese chuckled along with him. "Not very high, that's for sure."

Jaune's Scroll pinged at him. He opened it to find a message from his teammates.

They had already landed and told him where they'd be waiting for him.

At the same time Reese's own Scroll pinged at her; containing a very similar message to Jaune's.

The two showed each other their screens and shared a bewildered look before laughing again.

It truly was an odd predicament, with many chance occurrences that shouldn't have been likely to happen.

"Okay, now this is just getting weird." Reese said as she tried to keep from laughing some more.

Jaune nodded, managing to calm himself down. "I mean, it's cool in a way, but I can agree that it's a little weird."

"What do you think our teammates must be thinking?" Reese said curiously as she gazed at her Scroll once more. "I can imagine all of them being just as weirded out as us if they see the two of us step out of this airship together." She grinned at the prospect of it.

"I wonder if they're talking among each other and have already figured it out." Jaune mumbled idly. "Either way, this will be a good story to tell the others." Jaune said as he thought of his friends on other teams.

Inside the airship the intercom came to life, as the pilot announced to the passengers to prepare for docking.

"Okay, the airship is gonna land." Reese said with barely contained excitement. "I hope we get to see their surprised faces."

As the airship opened to allow its passengers to depart, Jaune walked alongside an eager Reese as they approached the location where their teammates awaited.

"Yeah, me too." Jaune said with a smile.


	2. A False Notion

It was an early weekend morning when the two decided to meet up; Sun looking eager with his tail waving back and forth casually, and Blake looking tired of the sun's bright rays. The two Faunus were currently sitting at a table in an outdoor café, the same one they had been at when Blake had first ran away. While Blake sipped slowly at her cup of tea, Sun was avidly discussing a concept that was strange, if not outright ridiculous.

"…So if we just stake them out all day today we might be able to figure out if they're just hanging out together or if they're together-together." The monkey Faunus said with a mischievous grin.

Blake smiled at his choice of words. "Sun, what makes you think that Neptune and Yang are even remotely interested in each other in that way?" She said to him with a raised brow.

The Faunus boy scratched his chin with a nervous chuckle. "I don't know. I guess it's just because they've been hanging out together more often, especially ever since we all paired up to deal with that Roman guy."

Blake hummed in thought as she sipped her tea again. Sun wasn't wrong, for she had also noticed in these past few days how Yang and Neptune were going off on their own a lot, doing who knows what, after classes.

Now that she thought about it, Blake never really knew what the two of them were up to. Yang hadn't said a word to her about where they went and what they did. Although it wasn't like Blake bothered asking her partner about it, for it really wasn't any of her business. Yet for some reason Blake felt this nagging feeling just thinking about the two alone together.

"Okay. I can't believe I'm saying this, but let's do it." Blake said with a defeated sigh.

Sun's eyes lit up as she conceded to his plan. Bouncing in his seat, he gave Blake a cheeky smile. "Don't worry, Blake. I have this all figured out. With your ninja-ness and my parkour skills, they'll never even know we're there."

Later in the afternoon, the two Faunus were enacting their plan; staking out their teammates. They observed them carefully from a distance, often having to blend in among a crowd or hide behind various objects. When they followed Yang and Neptune into a fast food restaurant Blake found that she had to struggle with Sun to focus on their endeavor, and not on staying there to eat.

As they stalked their teammates they began to realize some of the places they were going into. Various candy stores, bakeries, toy shops, and even a book store; which Blake found a little odd since neither Yang nor Neptune were exactly that big on books. All of these locations weren't unlikely places they could imagine their teammates going to. However it seemed rather strange how quickly they went in and out, and they didn't even buy anything.

Once it became late in the evening they watched from a rooftop as the two teens headed towards where the airships would take them back to Beacon. The two Faunus waited a while before heading that way themselves, jumping from the rooftops, both deep in contemplation.

"Why do you think they went to so many candy and toy stores?" Blake questioned out loud.

Sun held a hand under his chin, tail flicking, as she pondered. "Maybe they wanted to eat a bunch of sweets?" He suggested. "I'm not sure why they would go to a toy store though."

"They didn't come out with anything though, and I'm sure they didn't stay in those shops long enough to eat anything they would've bought."

"Does Yang like teddy bears?" Sun asked suddenly, not entirely listening to what Blake had just said.

"Let's just head back. We can talk about it tomorrow." Blake said tiredly.

They landed down near the airships, boarding one and were being taken back to the academy.

After sitting down Sun yawned loudly, stretching his arms above him. "Yeah. Sounds like a solid plan."

The next day Blake found herself roused from slumber, as someone was gently poking her awake. One of her ears flicked in irritation; she did not want to get up just yet.

"Mmrgh…"

Blake opened one eye to find Sun peeking up at her over the edge of her bunk. She sat up immediately, confusion and slight irritation on her face at his presence.

"What are you doing in here? Actually, how did you get in here?" Blake hissed quietly at him.

Sun stayed where he was, nervously watching the irate girl. "I had to tell you something." He pouted. "Plus, you guys should really consider getting a lock for your window." He added cheekily.

Blake sighed, looking around the room and noting that her teammates weren't around. Shooing him aside, she climbed off of her bed and sat at the edge of the one below it. "Fine. What is it you wanted to tell me?" She crossed her arms, watching Sun impatiently.

The monkey Faunus dug into his pants pocket and procured a slightly crumpled plain white envelope that had his name written on the front of it. "I found this sitting on the desk in my room. The handwriting is Neptune's, so I'm pretty sure it's from him."

Blake looked at him quizzically. "Have you read it?" Sun nodded. "May I know what it says, if it's not too much to ask?"

"Well, sure." He said nonchalantly as he held it out to her. "I mean, we have the same letters so I don't see why not." He nodded his head in the direction of a desk that was situated across the room.

"What do you mean we have-"

Blake's eyes widened as she sprung up off the bed and rushed towards the desk. Laying there on the middle of the desk was a plain white envelope with her name on it. It was exactly the same as Sun's, except the handwriting was obviously Yang's.

Blake picked up the envelope and pulled out a plain postcard inside. Written on the postcard in neat letters was a time and a location. Sun had brought his own letter next to hers to show that he indeed had the same contents.

"What do you think they're planning?" Blake said with disbelief.

"I'm not sure, but we shouldn't keep them waiting. It's getting close to the time we have to meet them." Sun pointed to a clock in the room. Blake shook her head lightly before she started ushering Sun out of the room.

"Hey, hey! Where am I going?" Sun flailed uselessly.

"Out. I need to get dressed, and I can't have you in here, now can I?" Blake said pointedly.

"Oh, right. Well do you want me to wait for you, or should I just head out?"

"You can wait if you want to, but it's alright if you go on ahead."

Sun hummed in thought. "I think I'm going to wait for ya. I'd get kind of nervous if I go by myself." He admitted shyly.

Blake smiled at his modesty. "I won't be long then."

Once Blake was ready the two Faunus headed toward their letters' specified location. Both were beginning to show signs of nervousness, though it was more prominent in Sun with how his tail waved about constantly.

When they reached the location the two were baffled to find that no one was there, although it was nearly the specified time. The two looked at each other with confusion, until they heard two familiar laughs. Facing the direction the sound came from they found their teammates approaching them.

Yang and Neptune soon stood before them with large gifts in their hands; Yang carried a big tote bag and Neptune held something giant that was covered in gift wrap. The two grinned at each other before smiling at their partners.

"Happy Valentine's Day!"

Blake and Sun looked at them with shock, dumbstruck at the scene unfolding before them.

"B-but I thought you guys- Both of you were- Huuuuuh?" Sun tossed his arms up into the air in exasperation.

Yang chuckled at his behavior while Neptune walked closer to him, reaching out a hand to playfully ruffle his hair.

"We were out trying to find gifts for you guys!" Yang said enthusiastically.

Sun quickly recovered from his state of confusion when he heard this, looking at Neptune with eager eyes.

"Why just the two of us?" Blake said skeptically. "I'm sure you're not doing this for any of the others."

Yang and Neptune looked at each other before turning back with slightly nervous smiles. "Well, you're my partner and I wanted to do something a little more special for you." Yang said. "And Sun and I have been together the most ever since becoming a team. I don't think I could do this for anyone else without them thinking I'm uncool." Neptune said with a small laugh.

Yang then stepped forward, raising the tote bag in front of her towards Blake. The cat Faunus flicked her eyes to the bag then to Yang, noting the faint blush on her face.

"Here's your gift. I'm not sure if I got the right stuff, but I hope you'll like them anyway." She said shyly.

Blake took the bag and examined its contents, gasping in surprise at what she saw. There were piles of books in the bag. Some of the books she recognized were part of a series she was currently into and the others were newer novels. Many of them were books she hadn't had the chance to go out and buy herself.

Blake looked up at Yang curiously. "How did you figure out which ones I wanted?" Yang pulled some of her hair around her shoulder and began to idly play with it. "Well, I often overheard your conversations with Ruby or Ren about the books you guys were interested in. I also may have taken a look at your book shelf and wrote down what books in that series you did own."

Blake smiled at her partner's thoughtfulness. She set the bag aside carefully and moved closer to Yang, taking her hands in her own. "Thank you for the gift, Yang. I love it." Blake then leaned forward and placed a kiss on Yang's cheek, making the blonde break into a huge grin. At the same time they could hear Sun shouting in delight.

"Oh man! Look at this thing, its ginormous!" Sun said as he held onto a giant teddy bear.

Blake and Yang chuckled as they watched Sun parade his plush in the air, Neptune following him close behind with a smile.

"When Neptune told me how much Sun liked teddy bears I just had to show him this amazing shop. You can make your own custom plush and order it from there." Yang said to Blake as they watched the boys. "And when I told him about the books I needed he showed me this neat little bookstore. I ordered a bunch of books beforehand, but the ones I couldn't find I had gotten there."

Hearing all of this information gave the Faunus girl more insight on why the two were hanging out so often recently. In hindsight she felt silly for following the two during the previous day.

Sun marched over towards the girls, showing off his teddy bear to them. "Look Blake, isn't it amazing? It has a voice recorder in it, and it even smells like strawberries!"

Blake reached out to pet the bear, much to Sun's delight, and smirked at him. "Guess there was nothing to worry about huh?"

"Heh. Yeah, I guess not. But it was kinda fun, don't you think?" Blake chuckled. "Yeah it really was."


	3. Like A Sister To A Brother

Yang was alone in the team's dorm room. She sat on a ledge of the large window that dominated the area between their bunks. She gazed through the glass, idly observing the distant figures of other students below.

The other members of her team had busied themselves with other tasks on the academy grounds. Ruby and Weiss were training together in the sparring gymnasium. They were trying to perfect a new battle technique that Ruby had recently come up with. Blake had gone to the quiet atmosphere of the library to read. The Faunus girl had invited Yang to join her, but the blonde had opted to remain in the room.

Yang sighed, running a hand through her golden locks. She knew that if her teammates were to notice her sluggish and exhausted demeanor, they would begin to ask her what was wrong. Although she was fine and simply just tired, they were questions she didn't feel like dealing with.

Yang slid off the ledge, being careful not to disturb the short bookshelf just below it, and went to change out of her uniform. It was much more refreshing to get out of her stiff uniform, and wear something that was looser.

As Yang folded and hung up her uniform for another day, she heard several knocks on the door. After setting the outfit into the wardrobe she moved towards the door and opened it. On the other side of the doorway stood Jaune Arc, his bright blue eyes looking curiously at Yang.

"Oh. Hello, Yang, is Ruby here with you?" The blonde boy asked politely.

Yang shook her head, golden curls bouncing along with the movement. "Nope. Sorry, Jaune, but she's training with Weiss right now." Jaune let out a disappointed sigh, dropping his head. "If you want, I can let her know you were looking for her when she comes back." Yang suggested to the disheartened boy.

"Nah, that's okay. It's not like it can't wait for tomorrow." Jaune said with a shrug. "Thank you anyway." He gave her a cheerful smile.

"No problem." Yang said, giving him a thumbs up. "Did you need anything else?" Yang watched as Jaune's expression became thoughtful.

"Well, now that you mention it. Would it be alright if we talked about some stuff that's been on my mind?" Jaune said in a hopeful tone. "I mean, it's alright if you don't want to though. I wouldn't want to get in the way of your relaxation time."

Yang ponder over his request, realizing that it was as good of an opportunity as any that would come by later. "Sure, Jaune. I don't see why not." Yang stood aside, allowing Jaune to enter the room. "Thanks." He gave a small nod towards her.

"You can sit there on the window's ledge, just be careful of the bookshelf." Yang shut the door and soon followed behind Jaune, both of them now sitting on the ledge and facing each other. "So, what did you want to talk about?" Yang initiated, gesturing towards Jaune with a hand.

Jaune was quiet for a moment, trying to formulate the question properly in his head before speaking it aloud.

"Well, I guess I have two questions. First: would you be able to spar with me and help me improve in my fighting?" Jaune looked to her for an answer.

Yang hummed in thought for a bit before replying. "I don't see why not. I'm curious though, why ask me? You could always ask Ren or Nora on your team, or even some of the other teams."

"I figured that it'd be good to spar with those who aren't on my team. I do know many of their moves and strategies, after all." Jaune began as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, I see where you're coming from." Yang agreed.

"Also, I think it'd be better for me to spar against opponents who have different Semblances and skills I don't know much about. It would keep me on my toes, make me think quicker on my feet and all that."

Yang hummed in understanding. "That makes sense. Now, your second question."

Jaune looked down nervously at his hands, fingers twiddling together in his lap.

"Okay, I know this is going to sound really, really, _really_ weird. So I hope you won't laugh."

"Lay it on me buddy."

"Is it alright if I consider you as a sister?"

Yang felt a laugh bubbling up, but managed to suppress it for Jaune's sake. That didn't stop a grin from showing. "Why me as a sister, of all things?"

"Well, you actually remind me of some of my sisters back home. We were all pretty close. I still talk to them of course, but they're not _here_ , y'know?"

"Yeah I gotcha." In a swift motion Yang hooked an arm around Jaune's head, ruffling his hair playfully. "Well, since I'm going to be your sister then I'm allowed to do this!"

The two laughed, even as Jaune flailed in vain, Yang soon releasing her hold after a moment. Yang pointed at his now mussed up hair, giggling behind her hand at how comical he appeared. Jaune tried his best to smooth down his hair.

"You look like a rooster." Yang told him after he gave up on fully fixing his hair.

"That sounds like something one of my sisters would say to me when I wake up late." Jaune chuckled.

Then a musical tone began to play in the now quiet room, prompting Jaune to pull out his Scroll and swipe its screen to turn off an alarm.

"I've got to go, sparring with Pyrrha." He explained. They both got up and Yang walked him to the door. "Thanks for taking the time to talk with me." Jaune said with a smile.

"No problem, bro." Yang said with a wink. "If you ever want to come by to chat, or when you're ready to spar with me, don't hesitate to ask."

The two waved farewell, and Yang watched Jaune as he headed down the hall and disappeared around a corner.

Returning to the window's ledge Yang looked out with a smile on her face. It felt nice being an older sister, whether it was to Ruby, Jaune, or all of her other friends. Having them rely on you, and being able to rely on them in turn, was a cheerful concept. Yang then wondered with a smirk if she should start telling Weiss to call her "big sis".


	4. Strut Your Stuff

It was cool spring afternoon, clouds floating in the sky and blocking out the sun's light every so often. Yang strolled down the sidewalks of downtown Vale, passing by various shops along the way. She had been sent out on an errand by her sister. Ruby had asked her a favor in buying a specially flavored cookie from one of her favorite bakeries, which was only available for a limited time.

The blonde whistled a cheery tune as she moved along, seeing the particular bakery not far off in the distance. As she was about to pass a high end clothing store, she suddenly felt herself being pulled by the arm. "Woah!" Yang hopped on one leg, struggling to keep up with whoever was pulling her.

Entering the shop, Yang stumbled forward as whoever held her had let go. She looked up to find that it was none other than Coco Adel who had dragged her in. She wanted to ask the older girl what was going on, but at the moment she appeared to be busy staring down an older, well-dressed business woman and a beautiful young woman that stood beside her.

"Here's my model." Coco said adamantly. "I'll show you just how much fashion sense I have."

"Eeeehh?" Yang said in bewilderment, but none of the women paid her any heed.

The woman flicked her gaze over Yang quickly before returning it to Coco with a glare. "Very well. Pick an outfit that best suits the girl and we'll see who indeed has a better eye for fashion."

"We'll leave it to the employees to vote." Coco demanded, to which the older woman replied with a huff as she turned away and began to search the racks of clothing.

Coco grabbed Yang's hand, pulling the blonde along behind her as she scoured through the racks of clothes.

"Uhh…Mind filling me in on what's going on?" Yang asked the brunette. Coco grumbled under her breath before speaking. "That woman insulted my sense of fashion, saying how the way I dress is not stylish at all. I will not stand for this kind of ridicule."

"She seemed really mad…" Yang said as she glanced over at the woman.

"I may have called her a blind, old dinosaur." Coco said briskly.

Coco released her grip on Yang's hand to hold up an article of clothing towards the blonde, eyeing it thoughtfully before returning it to the rack with a dissatisfied look. Coco moved onto another rack and Yang continued to follow the girl. "So, where do I come in?"

Coco stared thoughtfully at a dress that hung against a wall, mumbling to herself about its qualities and how it'd look on Yang. Still staring at the dress, she answered Yang's question.

"You're going to be my model. I'm going to pick an outfit that best fits you and draws out all your attractive points that I can squeeze out, so we can show that old biddy just how wrong she is."

Yang stifled a chuckle behind her hand at Coco's wording, trailing after the girl as she moved on from the dress. Looking over the racks Yang could spot the business woman carrying some clothing already. It made Yang worry if Coco would be able to find an outfit in time.

They were walking in a section that displayed outfits the employees randomly put together to show off the aesthetics of the store. Coco suddenly stopped, then quickly strode over to a set that held a black zipper jacket with a medium sized belt that wrapped around the hem of it and a pair of plain black shorts. There was a white t-shirt that went along with it, but Coco looked at it skeptically before her eyes lit up with an idea.

Yang held the clothes as the brunette handed them to her before swiftly maneuvering towards the dress shirts. She didn't have to look long to find what she wanted; a royal purple buttoned-down shirt that seemed to shimmer when in the right light. She then went to find the same pair of shorts, but in a different size, after asking Yang what her size was.

Being given the shirt and new pair of shorts to carry, Yang had some trouble keeping up with the older girl as she rushed over to where the shoes were displayed. She hummed as she examined the boots, debating between two different colored boots before settling on a pair of dark brown knee high boots with flat heels. They were leather on the front side and felt on the back, with two straps and belt buckles that looped near the top and bottom as part of the design.

Coco carried the boots and motioned for Yang to follow her towards the changing booths. The business woman stood nearby, awaiting on her model to finish changing and come out. Coco led Yang to a booth, setting down the boots and whispered to the blonde. "Don't put on the white t-shirt, keep your purple knee scarf for when you put the boots on, and when you're done let me know so I can do some final touches." She gave Yang a smile and a wink before closing the curtain and leaving Yang to her own devices.

Yang carefully undressed and put the clothing on, surprisingly finding that all of them had fit her almost perfectly. Overall it was comfortable to wear, and Yang found herself liking the jacket the longer she wore it. Calling for Coco the girl carefully stepped into the booth and examined Yang.

Excusing herself she approached the blonde and adjusted the collar on her dress shirt, making it to where Yang's cleavage wasn't blatant, but showing just enough to bring out an alluring tease. She then shifted the belt around the jacket so it wouldn't seem tangled, but more natural in how it hung on each side.

After giving one more look over she grinned and gave Yang a thumbs up. "Looking good hun." She said encouragingly. "Now once the 4 employees in this store are gathered here we'll tell you to come out-one at a time- so that they can fairly judge your appearance." Yang nodded, suddenly feeling a bit anxious with the situation, but a reassuring touch to her hand helped to settle those nerves. "Don't worry about 'winning'." Coco said with an eye roll. "You look fabulous whether or not those guys see it."

Coco stepped out and Yang found herself feeling a bit more confident. It wasn't long after when she heard them call the first model out, the employees "oohing" and "aahing" at her. Then came her turn to step out.

Yang walked forward to find everyone's eyes on her. The other model stood to the side, wearing a lovely dress and accessories that looked very amazing on her. Feeling that wave of nervousness again, Yang hooked her thumbs into her pockets, trying to keep herself from playing with her hair out of habit. She looked up to find the employees, three girls and one guy, mumbling among themselves appreciatively as they considered Yang's outfit.

After a short moment, the older woman prompted them to show their votes. The employees walked over to stand next to the model they favored. The results: two of the girls standing near Yang, and the other two beside the other model.

Coco grinned at the turn of events, the older woman showed no discernable emotion aside from a quirk of her brow. The employees were ushered back to work and then the business woman approached Yang with a cursory gaze before speaking. "Have you ever considered a job in modeling?"

Yang blinked in surprise at the question, looking toward Coco for assistance. The brunette stepped in with a smirk, addressing the woman. "Sorry, but she's already enrolled in a career as a Huntress." The woman nodded in understanding, and for the first time since Yang saw her the woman smiled.

"I was wrong about you." She said to Coco, looking back at Yang again. "You've got quite the sense of style."

Coco welcomed the praise. "I guess for a dinosaur you'd be a sharp witted raptor." The woman laughed at her words. They then ushered Yang and the model to go back into the dressing rooms to change. When Yang stepped back out the woman and model were already gone. All that was left was Coco smiling deviously at her.

"You kind of creeping me out Coco." Yang said jokingly as she was going to set the clothes onto a return rack, but Coco stopped her. "Don't bother putting it away." The Huntress said to her. "That woman already bought it for you as a sort of reward for doing so well."

"Oh good. I really liked this jacket." Yang said and the two shared a laugh. After checking out with the employees (and Yang awkwardly accepting one of the girls' number) the two exited the store.

"Well, that was a thing." Yang said with an exhausted sigh. "And I still haven't bought those cookies for Ruby yet. I hope there's still some left."

Coco hooked her arm around Yang's, walking alongside her toward the bakery. "I'm sure there is, and if there isn't then I'll pay for whatever cookies we replace it with." She gave Yang a wink, and the blonde gave her a thumbs up in return. "Thanks, Coco."

* * *

 **A/N: Links to stuff so you can have a slightly better imagination of Yang's outfit (hopefully xD). Sorry for the length of 'em (whoops), and remember to replace commas with periods.**

 **Outfit:**

 **demandware,edgesuite,net/sits_pod27/dw/image/v2/AAVO_PRD/on/demandware,static/-/Sites-kennethcole-master-catalog/default/dw169da889/images/WMS6BWJ05_001_MAIN,jpg?sw=373 &sh=498&sm=cut**

 **Dress Shirt:**

 **item4,tradesy,com/images/h-and-m-long-sleeve-button-down-shirt-1349258-0-0,jpg?width=720 &height=960**

 **Boots:**

 **s-media-cache-ak0,pinimg,com/236x/b3/5e/5b/b35e5bfde4fbab4250f06c22689db466,jpg**


	5. A Hunter's Self-worth

**A/N: Written with the concept of how Jaune came up with his strategies in V3Ch2. Occurs sometime after the end of Vol. 2.**

* * *

It was a bright and sunny day, just a few wisps of clouds gliding across an endless sea of blue. Jaune was atop the dorm building's roof, sitting at its edge and letting his feet dangle over it as he watched a flock of birds soar by.

He was alone. No teammate or friend to accompany him as he gazed upon the academy grounds, and the tiny dots that were students. He preferred it this way, at least for the moment, for he had a lot of things to think about and he wanted to dwell on them alone.

Jaune recalled the recent events of the small scale Grimm invasion that had occurred in Vale. How quickly it had occurred, and how swiftly it had been dealt with. Despite the fact that in the end it had all turned out alright, Jaune's chest still felt heavy as if something was gnawing away on him from inside.

Everything had happened so fast and too soon. The cries and screams of innocents fearing for their lives had rung in the air, reverberating in his bones. Grimm were everywhere, screeching and roaring at anything that stood in their path. It was a night terror come to life, and he had been in the midst of it.

It was funny how during that moment, when courage and duty had filled him with strength, his capability as a leader had shone through, and at the battle ground he had slain an Ursa without a fluke. But now, all he felt was a hollow echo of those feelings. They had disappeared, leaving him raw and vulnerable to pessimistic thoughts dwelling in his mind.

Passing a hand through his hair he released a deep sigh. He continued to stare at the ground below, noting the familiar specks of red and white, before the low sound of someone clearing their throat jolted him out of his daze. Turning his body around he was caught by surprise to find that it was none other than the Headmaster who stood behind him.

Ozpin held his signature cane and mug, looking at Jaune quizzically behind his silver frames. "Mind if I join you?" The Headmaster tilted his head toward the ledge, smiling when Jaune sputtered at his words. "Oh. Um, no, go ahead." Jaune gestured to a spot beside him, which Ozpin then chose to sit.

Jaune studied the man as he gazed out upon the expanse of the academy. There was silence for a long moment before Ozpin began to speak.

"Did you know, that every Huntsman and Huntress to ever enter this academy have forged their own weapons?"

Jaune's expression scrunched up in confusion. He looked out towards the horizon and pondered Ozpin's question.

"Not many students are able to come here bearing the weapons of their predecessors." Jaune blinked in recognition of the particular detail, turning to face Ozpin once more to find the Headmaster's gaze upon him.

Ozpin observed his students bewilderment before giving him a small smile. "What is it that you wish to accomplish here?" He said softly.

"What is it I want to accomplish?" Jaune repeated, looking down at his hands with a frown. "I'm not really sure anymore." He said in a whisper.

Ozpin hummed, taking a sip from his mug before he continued. "Then what do you _think_ you need to do?"

Jaune remained silent, the Headmaster patiently awaiting his answer as he basked in the sun's warmth and enjoyed the cool breeze. It wasn't until Ozpin had taken his third sip from the mug when Jaune at last spoke.

"I guess what it is I think I need to do is to get stronger." Jaune began before speaking more quickly. "And to get stronger I need a better weapon, something more than what I've already got. Although I guess what it is I really need is not a better weapon, but a better strategy for my team. We could have a formation of some sort, like what Ruby told me with what she does with her team."

Ozpin chuckled at Jaune's enthusiasm. "I'm glad to see you so riled up on the matter." He hid a smile behind his mug as Jaune became slightly embarrassed at his sudden spill of words.

The two returned their gazes towards the horizon, overlooking the area below. This time the silence didn't get to settle for long.

"Students don't just get to enter this school based on their social standing and wealth." Ozpin began quietly. "They are _chosen_ , though this process does not focus solely on their skill or knowledge. Neither are we to assume this role of seeking and deciding who is worthy of being here."

"But, what about the transcripts?" Jaune said incredulously. "And all of the tests and combat training students have to go through to get here?"

Ozpin took a sip from his mug, humming in acknowledgement of the boy's concerns. "Do not worry. All of those tasks are not ignored." Ozpin looked Jaune in the eyes. "Though it is not those things that define a person's worth."

"Then what does?"

A cool breeze passes between them. Ozpin adjusts his glasses.

"That will have to wait for another time."

The Headmaster carefully stood up, leaning on his cane for extra support. "If you'll excuse me." He said with a nod.

Jaune watched as he shuffled off toward the rooftop entrance, waiting until the door closed completely before turning back around.

He sat there pondering the Headmaster's words for a short while before following in his stead.

He wore an eager expression at the thought of discussing with his team on the matter of team attacks while he returned to his dorm room.


	6. Weapon Geeks

Ruby is usually shy when it comes to meeting new people. She often sputters out her sentences in nervousness, sometimes literally tripping over herself at the same time. Yet all of that seems to dissipate when it comes to Hunters and discussions of their weapons, and with the festivities of the Vytal Tournament there were plenty of weapons to discover.

Currently Ruby found herself talking to a member of team ABRN, Reese Chloris, which her own team had contended against recently.

"So this here is my baby." Reese said as she hopped off her hoverboard and held it up.

"That's so cooool!" Ruby said with wide silver eyes as she admired the huntress' weapon.

Reese grinned smugly as she showed off her hoverboard to the younger teen. She was quite proud of it, and when she overheard Ruby talking about her "baby", Crescent Rose, she wanted to share in the admiration of their weapons. She was pleased to find that the brunette was all too eager to talk with her.

"It's so amazing that you made a weapon you could actually ride on. I don't think I've seen many Hunters implement the concept of transportation into their weapons." Ruby babbled in awe.

"Thanks, Ruby." Reese found herself trying to fight a blush, her green eyes looking off to the side. "It wasn't exactly easy to get it to work. There were a lot of kinks to work out with the whole hover function, but in the end I got this."

Reese slowly turned the hoverboard in her hands. The green tint of its luminescent pattern gleamed in the sunlight, displaying its sleekness and high-tech design.

Ruby points at the green glow curiously. "I caught a glimpse of it during the battle, but you can incorporate Dust into your board through here, right?"

Reese nods at her, turquoise hair swaying with the movement. "Yep. All I need is a Dust crystal and I can merge it with my board to utilize it."

Ruby giggles in delight and wiggles in place with glee. Reese finds the action to be extremely cute.

"That's awesome!" Ruby shouts as she shoots her arms into the air. "I have to use Dust infused bullets for my Crescent Rose, and aside from my partner's use of Dust powder in the chamber of her weapon, I hardly get to see anyone use pure Dust crystals."

Reese found that she couldn't stop herself from grinning.

"Having my weapon be a hoverboard sure makes it handy to bring it with me outside of sparring and actual missions too. It's too bad you can't have yours right now." Ruby's demeanor immediately switched from one of enthusiasm to melancholy.

"Yeah." She said with a sad sigh. Then she perked up again. "But maybe if I alter Crescent Rose with, like, a jet or something I could use that to travel around too!"

Reese laughed at the ardent idea, leaning on her hoverboard to keep herself from falling over. She had to wipe a tear from her eye as she attempted to calm down. "Oh man, you're a real riot Ruby."

Ruby gave her a stern pout. "What? You think I can't do it?" She crossed her arms in an adamant gesture.

Reese finally managed to compose herself, still grinning manically. "I'm sure you could do it if you put your mind to it." Ruby's pout became a smile as she giggled once more. "So, your Crescent Rose. What kind of functions does it have?"

Ruby seemed to tremble in excitement at the prospect of talking about her weapon.

"Crescent Rose functions mainly as a Scythe, but it's also a high caliber sniper rifle. The gun part of it makes it easier to deal with distant targets, it also helps to increase the speed of my swings if I begin to lose momentum. It has a compact mode that makes it simpler to carry around as well."

Reese almost had a hard time keeping up with Ruby, as the girl spoke quickly when she became excited, but managed to catch on to most of the key words. Ruby's excitement had rubbed off on her, as she suddenly wanted to gush about her weapon.

"Speaking of guns, my hoverboard can split into two revolvers, either when it takes a whaling or if I activate the function. See the sharp points here?" Reese directed Ruby's gaze towards the pairs of silvery blades at each end. "These basically fold in together to form a knife near the barrel of the guns, becoming a bayonet. I would show you, but I'm strictly not allowed to do so."

Reese looked up to find what she expected, Ruby looking at her hoverboard with sparkling silver eyes and her hands against her cheeks. It was ridiculously adorable.

A ping from Ruby's Scroll made the girl break out of her state of admiration as she checked the message she had received. "Looks like I have to go. My sister, Yang, needs my help with my uncle." She said with a slightly nervous laugh. "Um, maybe we can hang out again sometime to talk more?"

Reese smiled at the offer, already pulling out her Scroll. "Sure. Let's swap info so we can call each other next time one of us is available."

They quickly traded their information before Ruby received a few more insistent messages. The two said their farewells, Ruby dashing off with a final wave as Reese watched after her.

Reese hoped that the two of them could meet again soon. Maybe even take some time to spar one-on-one with their beloved weapons before the festival was over.


	7. Simply You and I

It was just another day at Beacon Academy. Students rushed between classes and ate lunch with their friends. The members of team RWBY were returning to their dorm room. All of them felt eager to relax after a day's worth of classes. As the girls enter the room, their leader slumped over to the bunk on the right side of the room, face planting on top of it with exhaustion.

"Aww! You that tired sis?" Yang cooed as she went over to Ruby's motionless form. Only a muffled groan could be heard from the younger girl.

Weiss ignored the duo, striding over to a desk and gathering some of the paperwork on top of it. "Well, we did have that test in Ms. Goodwitch's class, and we all know how difficult her sparring tests are."

Yang nodded, gently patting her sister's back. "You did good Rubes." Ruby weakly held up an arm, giving a thumbs up.

Meanwhile Blake had already changed into more casual clothing, wearing grey shorts and a loose dark t-shirt. She glanced over at her leader, noting that she still lay face down on her bed. Yang caught her gaze and was about to rouse Ruby, who had already fallen into a nap as indicated by her quiet snores, but Blake shook her head. Yang gave a nod and then moved towards Weiss and was looking over the heiress' shoulder.

"You got everything?" The blonde asked. Weiss collected the papers into a folder and turned around. "Yes. Let's go to the library, so we don't disturb Ruby's rest." Weiss said as she walked toward the door and proceeded into the hall. Yang spun around to face Blake, giving her partner a salute. "If you don't hear from me, then I've succumb to the study bug." Blake gave a short chuckle and watched the girl march out of the room.

It was quiet, an atmosphere which Blake greatly appreciated for the moment. She went towards the small shelf that was located between the two sets of bunk beds, pulling out a novel she had started recently. She stood and looked at her bed, once more examining the young leader sprawled on top of it. Blake smiled at how endearing Ruby looked, almost like a little kid.

There was still enough room on the bed for Blake to sit on, but looking at how Ruby was laying she knew it wasn't the most comfortable position to be in. Very carefully and meticulously Blake relieved Ruby of her cloak, folding it and setting it aside on the window ledge. Next she shifted Ruby, just enough to lead the sleepy girl into a proper sleeping position, having her head resting on the pillow. Blake then took up the space beside her, curling her legs under herself and opening the book to where she last left off.

Ruby continued to snore softly beside her, never making much movement as she slept. At some point, Blake had caught herself idly brushing her fingers through the younger girl's brunette hair. She didn't know how long she had been doing it, but it didn't seem to disturb Ruby from her slumber and the motion was even soothing to Blake.

In one instance when Blake stopped with her ministrations Ruby had nuzzled against her palm for attention, alerting the Faunus to her no longer sleeping teammate.

"Ruby, are you awake?" Blake said to the dozing girl. She received a soft hum in answer. Blake couldn't help but smile warmly at her. "Do you want me to keep going?" Blake indicated with a gentle brush of her fingers through the girl's hair. Once again Ruby hummed. "Okay."

Blake continued petting Ruby, and on occasion the brunette could be heard sighing in satisfaction. Still reading her book, Blake was caught by surprise when she felt a hand wrap around hers. Looking over she found that Ruby had taken her hand and lowered it from her head. Their fingers were now interlaced in a loose hold.

Tired silver eyes met gold, and Ruby gave her a tired smile before drifting off to sleep. Blake returned that smile, lightly squeezing Ruby's hand before returning back to her novel.

Later in the evening, when Yang and Weiss returned from their studying, Blake and Ruby were seen resting together. Blake's book laid open on top of her stomach, her body now turned over slightly towards Ruby. Their heads were touching and their fingers had remained intertwined. The two teammates smiled down at their partners, who slept peacefully with small smiles on their own faces.


End file.
